


O Christmas Tree, O Christmas Tree

by foolishwildyouth



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: M/M, Pointless fluff, don't read this for the rest of them honestly, harry knows nothing except that louis is pretty, louis knows trees, this is self indulgent don't look at me
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-31
Updated: 2018-05-31
Packaged: 2019-05-16 09:37:41
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,878
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14808821
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/foolishwildyouth/pseuds/foolishwildyouth
Summary: Blue spruce? Balsam Fir? Douglas fir? Snow? No snow? How tall even was the ceiling? Why did he not think about measuring it before he braved the cold and drove down to Home Depot to buy his Christmas tree?In which Niall leaves Harry alone for Christmas and Harry has a tree dropped on him by a pretty boy with blue eyes. He finds he doesn't mind.





	O Christmas Tree, O Christmas Tree

**Author's Note:**

> For Fari, who I always seem to write things for and who is the only person I know that reads Christmas things all year long. Figures I would write something random instead of the millions of things I actually said I would write for you. Hope you like it!!

_Blue spruce? Balsam Fir? Douglas fir? Snow? No snow? How tall even was the ceiling? Why did he not think about measuring it before he braved the cold and drove down to Home Depot to buy his Christmas tree?_

Harry’s head spun as he thought about how many types of trees there really were, thinking about how he should not make buying his tree this complicated.

_Couldn’t they put up a sign that said “normal Christmas trees for chaps who know nothing about buying Christmas trees!”_

He should’ve let Niall buy the tree like he did every year. But Niall was on a last-minute trip to his parent’s house for Christmas, leaving Harry very much without a proper Christmas tree and also very much lonely, but that was neither here nor there. 

So down the aisles of Christmas trees he went, examining all the sizes and shapes and colors of Christmas trees feeling utterly lost. He was just thinking it was probably better off to wait until Niall got back from his trip to buy the tree when he heard a high shout of _“Timber!”_ and was promptly knocked into a stall of a dozen trees by another, significantly taller Christmas tree. Harry really thought tumbling into a pile of leaning trees would be like laying on a tall bed of grass and if pine needles poking through his clothes didn’t prove him wrong, then the tough tree spines would because _hey, ouch._

Hands grabbed for the lapels of his coat and yanked hard with the ease of someone who had practice in hauling trees around all day. Whoever it was apparently overestimated Harry’s weight in comparison to nine foot christmas trees and Harry went tumbling into another solid weight, this time softer and warmer.

Upon steadying his lanky uncoordinated legs, Harry got a chance to look at his at-once downfall and liberator. Fluffy hair, wide eyes, scruffy jaw, pink mouth saying something...

“...see you there! So sorry! Are you alright?” The man said, his face expressing so many things at once, blue eyes searching imploringly into Harry’s face and _oh right, questions, words, sounds, oh shit._

“Yeah, yes! Yes, okay I’m alright.” _Eloquent Styles. Go back to the tree pit._

The man’s eyes smiled. Actually smiled. Crinkling up in the corners and shining, and so so blue and wow. He was still holding onto Harry and how was he so warm out here?

“Really should be looking out when throwing the trees around but there’s not been much business today seeing as it’s three days till Christmas.” He let go of Harry but not before brushing off his shoulders lightly.

Harry sensed some underlying amusement in the man’s tone, and understood it was because he was buying his tree so late. In Harry’s defence, he had hoped Niall wouldn’t be gone this long and would’ve been home soon enough to buy their tree at a more socially acceptable time.

“Better late than never though, aye?” Harry said, smiling shyly, self deprecatingly and letting the man have a quick laugh at his expense.

And laugh he did, a high but pleasant _ha ha!_ Head tilted back and eyes squinted shut, there and gone in a second but making Harry smile giddily. The man was cute, so sue him.

“Well hey listen, do you need any help picking one out? I’ll even load it up for you, s’the least I can do,” he said.

 _Load it up, oh jeez, this is a stranger! He’s been alone for too long._ Harry cleared his throat and said with utmost composure, “yes please I’d really appreciate it.”

"M'name's Louis if you have any questions as we go," Louis said.

"I'm Harry, nice to meet you." Harry said with a polite smile.

“Nice to meet you too, Harry. Alright on we go then! What kind of tree were you thinkin’ of getting?”

“Not sure to be honest, before I was attacked I was trying to figure out if Douglas Fir was trustworthy enough for my flat,” Harry said cheekily.

The man exhaled a laugh, “Douglas Fir is most definitely not trustworthy enough for your flat. He’ll run away with your presents and your girl in the same night. Best stick with the Balsam Fir as it’ll most definitely fit in your flat.”

Louis led Harry to another row of trees, these thinner and very green. He plunged into the pit of them and shuffled around and Harry, curse him, thought about the muscle that must line Louis’ arms with a job like this. _Get a grip,_ Harry thought and gave himself a fierce shake, thankful that the man was still rooting around amongst the green.

“Aha!” Louis shouted, pulling a tree from within the masses. It was medium sized and still wrapped in the netting so Harry couldn’t see what Louis was excited about. With a pair of shears he procured from one of his apron pockets, Louis cut up the net and let the tree loose, lifted the thing and slammed the trunk of it against the ground. The tree branches unfurled with the force of the impact and Harry saw that it was a very pretty tree, full and a beautiful green and he could just picture the star he would put on top. 

“What do you think?” Louis asked, slightly spinning the tree so Harry could see its other angles.

“Oh he’s lovely! I would rather fancy taking him home with me,” Harry said, adding a little bit of wistfulness to his tone as he looked from the tree to Louis. Harry didn’t know whether he meant it more for the tree or for this pretty boy and decided to let his gaze linger on Louis’ to let him decide.

Louis picked up the hint, grinned. “I’ve thought that myself many a-time lad and you’re in luck, as its closer to Christmas there’s a sale going on to get rid of the trees,” he said cheekily. With that he gripped the middle of the tree and carried it sideways toward the checkout.

Harry walked alongside him and forced himself to say something conversational, anything to hear that sweet, clear voice again. 

“So any plans for Christmas?” he asked. _That’s a normal question to ask right? Idle chit chat from a customer buying a Christmas tree this close to Christmas?_

Louis shook his head and placed the tree next to the till. “It’s just me n’ my dog I’m afraid. I’m too far away from family this year, it’s a shame as I miss them something awful.” With a frown he typed away at the register and recited the total to Harry. Harry handed over the right amount of notes.

“I’m sorry to hear that,” and Harry meant it, being away from his mum for Christmas was like a stitch in his side. 

“And you? Anyone to spend Christmas with?” Louis asked with interest.

“Nope. My flatmate abandoned me. He’s the one that always buys the tree.” Harry said with a mock scowl.

“So here you are with me,” Louis said with a twinkle in his eyes, or maybe Harry’d imagined it, blinded by just how alluring that flirty smile on Louis’ face looked.

“So here I am with you,” Harry said bringing the dimples out to play.

And play they did as Louis’ smile brightened and his eyes did that damn crinkly thing again, alighting his face and charming the pants off Harry. They stood there for a moment just staring and absorbing the warmth of the bubble they created around each other, holding their breath lest they break the spell. 

The cold bit into Harry’s nose and he let out a breath, watched as it clouded and obscured Louis’ _blueblueblue_ eyes. He shuffled and looked down cheeks burning, Louis cleared his throat and shifted the tree to lift again.

“Oh! My car’s just this way,” Harry said and walked briskly in the direction of his beat up yellow truck. He let the frozen air remind him that Louis was a stranger, and that he was just being friendly for customer service reasons. Harry couldn't help think of that small smile before they came back to themselves and the fact that he’d done way more with other strangers in the past. So Harry made a decision.

He opened the latch of the truck and moved out of the way so Louis could place the tree in the bed. He slammed it closed and let the sound push him into what he was going to say.

“Thank you so much for your help,” Harry said with as genuine a smile as he could give.

“Of course, anytime,” Louis said, and with a lingering smile turned to walk away.

Harry grabbed his sleeve, careful not to actually touch him. “Louis,” Harry said to stop him from leaving.

“Yes?” Louis breathed, and was that hope in his eyes? Harry surged on.

“Well since we’ll both be alone for Christmas would you maybe, um, want to have dinner with me? Most shops’ll be closed but I can cook us something? If you’re comfortable with that I mean, you don’t have to say yes and I know you hardly know me but I thought I’d ask because no one should be alone on Christmas and I would really like to have you!" Harry winced, “I mean not _have you_ but like have you over! Not that you aren’t fit because you are but that’s not the point I-”

“Yes Harry I would like to spend Christmas with you,” Louis said, teeth on full display, grinning so beautifully. And Harry, well, Harry just couldn't help but make a tit out of himself but-- _wait he said yes!_

“O-oh that’s great! Yeah, okay, I’m glad!” Harry knew he was smiling like a fool but he didn’t want to stop it. He felt like a balloon filled with high pressure and on the way to popping but his chest held firm and looking at Louis’ laugh lines he felt a stirring in his chest, new and spectacular and altogether familiar in a strange _oh I know you, hello again darling._ Harry blinked and stepped back, overwhelmed. A look into Louis’ face said he felt the exact same way.

“I suppose I’ll give you my number and text you my address,” Harry said belatedly, Louis brought out his phone and they exchanged information. When they had all they needed, they glanced at each other and Louis spoke up.

“It’s nearly closing, if you’d wait just a bit we could go get a coffee?” Louis asked tentatively, feeling as much as Harry did that this quiet recognition was not going away. 

“I’d really like that,” Harry said softly and felt warm down to his toes at Louis’ answering smile.

_It was later in the cozy shop sharing a scone between them, their coffees long gone cold and getting to know him that Harry thanked Louis for dropping a tree on him. And it was on Christmas, hearing Louis’ bright laugh, holding his hand across the table, and sharing a small kiss at the end of the night with promises of more days together that Harry sent a silent thank you to Niall for leaving him to rot alone on Christmas._

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading!


End file.
